Ayra

Nine years ago if anyone would have said Ayra Phenix would be the princess of Demenia, I would be the happiest person alive. But now, as I sit beside the crown prince of Demenia with the stoic face I am expected to put on, I am exhausted.

“Princess of Ash.'' They call me. The story of the commander of Demenia's army, my father, finding me after the battle of Syerna, covered in ash and soot is one told by bonfires. And even more so when I married Prince Caspian.

But my love for him has always been a facade. I agreed to marry the prince because it is my duty. I owe it to my father. It took me a while to stop despising him for it, but I owe him my damn life.

He sure looks more powerful than the king himself as he stands before the dais in the autumn palace. The king coughs into his hand, his face as pale as winter snow. Caspian tenses beside me. I attempt to calm him down by rubbing small soothing circles over his hand but the fear staining his eyes of losing his father to the same disease which killed his mother still lingers.

My father all but smirks at the sight. When the king dies, I shall be Demenia's Queen. It would be easy to have Caspian murdered in his sleep after the king is dead, ensuring that I alone have power over Demenia.

As much as I adore my husband, my father knows I will do anything he says. He ensured that, when he broke all the fingers of my left hand when I refused to thrust a dagger into Tyron's heart. Then he proceeded to make me watch as he killed the hound I loved in the most cruel way possible.

Maybe it is crazy or maybe it is pathetic, but I still love my father. He saved me when I had no one and ensured I can survive in this world. I trust him, and I will be loyal to him till the day I die.

I pull away from the thoughts as he speaks, “Reports say Kadetia's new Queen is preparing for war against us. We need to retaliate, sending in soldiers through Syerna is the best option we have.”

The king sighs. “We all know you sent the threats first, Commander Dracov.” He proceeds to explain something about armies and peace and I know I should pay attention but my mind pays that word over and over again. Syerna.

The place where it all began. The place Dracov burned out of hate. The place where he killed my parents. The place where he saved me. The place where I bound my life to his, promising my loyalty.

I try to stop the thoughts trying to destroy my composure, this time Caspian squeezes my hand in reassurance. But my mind can not find peace when war is certain.

..•°•◇•°•…

I fiddle with the golden ring on my finger which my father gave me just a day before the battle of Syerna as I prepare for the king's funeral. The uprising will occur soon now. I try to be helpful by sending Caspian's daily routine to my father. There aren't any replies, but I suppose there isn't any need to murder the prince when he himself has turned into a ghost.

Caspian does not leave our room anymore, leaving me to attend all the meetings on his behalf. General Dracov is nothing short of ecstatic at this. He saved me out of the goodness of his heart that day in Syerna. It doesn't matter that his heart is tained by the allure of power now, because it is time I repay him by obeying his every command to ensure the power he will gain is never lost.

My mother used to say a monster is made, I wish she never comes to know I was saved by one. I am living with the men who killed my father and mother, as I survived because of the goodness of the world.